Syria

June 17, 2013

A picture shows destruction in Sbeneh, south of the Syrian capital Damascus, used for illustrative purposes (AFP / Ward al-Keswani)
12:45 GMT

At least 10 soldiers loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were killed in a Damascus car bomb attack which left a further 10 wounded

Putin and Obama shake hands. (Al Bawaba file photo)
08:33 GMT

US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are to meet for the first time in over a year at the G8 Summit, where they will discuss their opposing views on the Syrian crisis and arming the rebels.

A picture shows destruction in Sbeneh, south of the Syrian capital Damascus, on Sunday. A car bomb exploded in the Mezzeh neighbourhood later that day. AFP photo
07:04 GMT

A car bomb was detonated in the Damascus neighbourhood of Mezzeh late on Sunday, near a military airport and several embassies. There have been no reports on the number of casualties as of yet.

June 16, 2013

British Prime Minister David Cameron  and Russian President Vladimir Putin in London on Sunday, where they discussed the latest developments in Syria.(AFP PHOTO/POOL/ANTHONY DEVLIN)
19:54 GMT

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke out against the Western position on the Syrian crisis, criticizing their decision to arm the 'organ eating' Syrian rebels.

King Abdullah II of Jordan. (Al Bawaba file photo)
11:28 GMT

Jordan's King Abdullah has said that the Kingdom is ready to act defensively in the face of any threat to its security that arises out of the Syrian civil war.

 A Syrian rebel fighter points his riffle through a hole in sandbags as he holds a position in a trench, 100m far from the regime-controlled military base in Idlib province. AFP photo
09:28 GMT

Extremist fighters in the eastern Syrian province Deir Al Zor have destroyed a Shiite religious building, posting the video on the internet.

Noam Chomsky discusses the future of the MidEast (Photo: Marwan Bu Haidar / Al Akhbar)
08:53 GMT

American academic Noam Chomsky gives his views on the changing shape of the Middle East in an interview with Al-Akhbar's Maha Zaraket

Iran is to reportedly send 4,000 Iranian Revolutionary Guards to Syria to support President Bashar al-Assad in the fight against opposition forces. The move comes just one day after newly elected Iran President Hassan Rowhani praised his election as a “victory of moderation over extremism."
08:22 GMT

Iran is to reportedly send 4,000 Iranian Revolutionary Guards to Syria to support President Bashar al-Assad in the fight against opposition forces.

Saudi King Abdullah (File photo)
07:09 GMT

The King returned to Saudi after Washington announced it will arm the Syrian rebels

June 15, 2013

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi speaking during a conference in Cairo (HO / AFP)
21:14 GMT

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi announced a definitive cutting of ties with the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and called on world powers to impose a no-fly zone over Syria

Hasan Nasrallah. (Al Bawaba file photo)
20:40 GMT

Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah has said that Hezbollah will remain fighting alongside troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad and that its involvement in Syria was a calculated move.

A picture of Patriot missile systems, like those that will be deployed in the north of Jordan. Image for illustrative purposes. (AFP file photo)
20:20 GMT

US Patriot missiles and F-16 fighter jets have arrived in Jordan for a military exercise, as the north of the country is put on high alert after Hezbollah and regime fighters reached the Jordanian-Syrian border.

June 14, 2013

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US Secretary of State John Kerry (AFP)
16:07 GMT

Vladimir Putin's senior foreign policy adviser said that Russia was not convinced by Washington's evidence documenting chemical weapons use by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

NATO’s Secretary General, Ander Fogh Rasmussen said on Friday that the international community has made it clear that any use of chemical weapons in Syria is a severe breach of international law.
09:13 GMT

Earlier on Friday, a senior Russian lawmaker said via Twitter that information on the use of chemical weapons by Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad was fabricated. He also suggested the United States would use it to justify intervention in the Syrian conflict.

Former prime minister Saad Hariri said Hezbollah defied Lebanon’s law and granted itself the right to make decisions on behalf of the nation.
08:30 GMT

Former prime minister Saad Hariri said Hezbollah defied Lebanon’s law and granted itself the right to make decisions on behalf of the nation.